


Until We Meet Again

by ozhawk



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, Phil Coulson & Melinda May Friendship, giftfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-05 23:50:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5394839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozhawk/pseuds/ozhawk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>A gift for Concertigrossi, for the A Lump Of Coul gift exchange. Hope you enjoy my take on Coulson’s first meeting with Audrey Nathan, the Cellist!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I was delighted to get this prompt since I love Phil/Audrey. Hoping to see Amy Acker appear on Agents of SHIELD again one day soon!</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Until We Meet Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [concertigrossi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/concertigrossi/gifts).



 [](http://s1383.photobucket.com/user/Catherine_Bilson/media/Shorts%20covers/philandaudrey_zps6ecdbb5b.jpg.html)

“Got a new assignment for you two,” Fury barely grunted it, not even looking up from his desk. He flicked through a stack of folders, pushed one across the crowded surface in Phil’s general direction.

“Well done in Ankara, Agents Coulson and May,” May said sarcastically, “good job averting a major disaster.”

Fury didn’t even look at her. “You said it, so I don’t need to.”

Phil shook his head at May and picked up the folder. “Portland? Well, at least it’s in the US. My stomach really didn’t take well to Turkish food.”

“You ate too much Turkish delight for even your sweet tooth, you mean,” May sniped at him, grinning. From the corner of her eye, she spotted the corners of Fury’s mouth curl up very slightly. “No doubt you’ll eat too many oysters in Portland and I’ll be stuck twiddling my thumbs again while you get acquainted with the inside of the toilet bowl.”

That was definitely a smile hovering around Fury’s lips. Phil did his level best to ignore it – and May’s sniping – and leafed quickly through the folder. “Marcus Daniels,” he said aloud.

“He’s been on our radar for a while,” Fury finally lifted his head. “Developed powers in a lab accident at university.”

“Don’t they all?” Phil muttered. “Sometimes I think we should just shut all those science labs down…”

“They were experimenting with Darkforce,” Fury continued.

“Oh, well that was _always_ going to turn out well,” May rolled her eyes.

Fury’s lips twitched again, and Phil failed to hide his smile. May was on fine form today. But then they’d only been back from Turkey for less than two days, no doubt she resented having to leave Andrew again already.

“The physics boffins couldn’t explain Darkforce without my head exploding, so I made them explain in words of one syllable. Essentially, Daniels developed the ability to absorb energy.”

“What does he do with it then?” May asked curiously.

“Then he emits Darkforce, which the boffins described as ‘tangible shadows’. Eventually. After a lot of threats. There was wincing. Apparently that’s a gross oversimplification, in physics terms.”

“No doubt,” Phil murmured, still reading the file.

“And we are supposed to stop him how?” May frowned.

“That’s your job, Agent May.” Fury lifted his head to stare at her. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.” Even May recognised when she’d pushed too far. She followed Phil out quite meekly.

They stopped by the SciTech department to collect some gadgetry, not that May thought any of it would be much use against an energy absorber. En route to Portland, she did some digging through the database and found absolutely nothing useful they could possible use against Daniels.

“So where do we even start looking?” May asked Phil as they left the airport and picked up a hire car.

Phil held up the file. “There’s a note in here. Daniels is apparently very keen on classical music. Or on one particular performer, at least. A Miss Nathan. She took out a restraining order, but it hasn’t stopped him. She’s gone into hiding.”

“You’re going to use her to bait the trap?”

“Well, it sounds rather distasteful when you put it that way – but yes.”

“That’s all well and good, Phil, _if_ we have a method to stop Daniels. Which, as far as I know, we don’t.”

“Actually, maybe we do. Pull in there.” He gestured.

“I hardly think Lowes is going to have tech more advanced than SHIELD,” May muttered, not at all under her breath, but she obeyed, pulling into the parking lot.

“Not more advanced. Just different.”

Twenty minutes later they loaded the industrial-grade, battery operated lights they’d bought into the trunk of the car, May nodding grudgingly to Coulson.

“That’s a good idea. Lights this powerful would blind an ordinary person anyway. They might well overload Daniels.”

“There’s only one way to find out. But first of all, we’ll need to convince Miss Nathan to co-operate.”

“I’ll leave that to you, Mr Suave,” May retorted, making Phil chuckle.

“You don’t have the _best_ manner with strangers, I concede, Melinda.”

“Well, you know what they say,” she shrugged. “Join SHIELD, travel the world, meet interesting new people… and kill them.”

“Hopefully not, this time.”

“Your optimism never fails to astound me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miss Nathan had been handed off to SHIELD by the local police, and the two agents who ran the division office in Portland had taken her off to a safehouse. Coulson and May headed there next, calling ahead to ensure the agents wouldn’t take alarm at their approach.

There was classical music playing somewhere in the house, as they let themselves in with a fingerprint scan at the door. Classical cello, and Coulson headed towards it like a hound on the scent. May chuckled quietly to herself, closing the door behind them. She’d learned a fair bit about classical music in the last couple of years being partnered with Phil; enough to develop an appreciation, though she’d never be a connoisseur. She didn’t recognise the piece playing, though. And wow, these guys had a hell of a sound system…

… oh, not a sound system. Coulson was standing frozen in a doorway, staring at a young woman playing the cello, her eyes closed, the smooth strokes of her bow drawing a passionate torrent of soft, sonorous notes from the instrument. The two SHIELD agents were sitting staring at her spellbound too, and May acknowledged that she was something exceptional; the music was glorious enough, but the woman’s beauty was extraordinary as well.

Phil was transfixed as he stared at the woman who had to be Audrey Nathan. Her slender body swayed as she coaxed glorious music from her instrument, her long brown hair rippling past her shoulders in soft silken waves. The file had said she was in her mid-thirties but she looked ten years younger at least, her skin creamy and unmarked. Her beautiful hazel eyes wide as she stared at him.

“Who – who are you?” she asked, the bow stilling on the strings, soft lips trembling.

She was exquisite, lovely and fragile, frightened out of her wits by the monster stalking her, and there was no way that Phil Coulson could be anything but utterly captivated. Crossing the room swiftly, he knelt at her feet, reached for her hands.

“We’re here to take care of you.”

Audrey smiled at the plain-faced man kneeling before her, kindness and honesty practically radiating from him – along with something hidden she detected beneath that strong, trustworthy façade, something that told her that this man would do exactly as he said… or die trying.

“I’m Phil Coulson,” he said then, remembering himself, “and this is my partner, Melinda May, Miss Nathan.”

“Please,” she said, trusting him instinctively, “please call me Audrey.” She smiled at May too, who found herself returning the smile, rather to her surprise. Even though seeing how smitten Phil obviously was, she just knew this mission wasn’t going to be as simple as they hoped.

_Well, if Phil’s going to be Besotted Cop, I guess I’m going to have to be Bad Cop_ …

“We’re going to need your co-operation, Miss Nathan.”

Audrey’s doe-like eyes went wide and frightened as May outlined the plan, and she squeezed on Phil’s hand, looking at him for reassurance. Whatever she found in his expression made her square her shoulders and lift her chin courageously. “If it helps you catch that monster, then I’ll do whatever you need me to do, Agent May.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniels didn’t go down as easily as they hoped, of course. It took May shooting him as well as the powerful arc lights, but he did go down in the end, and the Containment Squad came to pick him up and take him to the Fridge. He wouldn’t be stalking any terrified civilian cellists there. Turning back from securing Daniels in the special vibranium restraints SHIELD kept for Gifteds, May spotted Coulson talking to Audrey, her hands clasped in his.

“Daniels was right about one thing,” Phil said quietly. “You _are_ a light in the darkness.”

Her eyes were luminous as she smiled up at him. “Will I see you again?”

“I hope so – though I hope not in a work capacity.” Phil looked a little bashful. “I understand the orchestra is beginning a new series of concerts in a couple of weeks? I’m rather fond of Debussy.”

“I shall look for you in the audience.” Her smile held just the slightest hint of mischief. “And you absolutely must let me buy you dinner.”

“Oh… perhaps we can negotiate on that,” Phil chuckled. Lifting her hand to his lips, he placed a very light kiss against her knuckles. “Until we meet again, Audrey.”  

“Until next time, Phil,” she watched him walk away up the jet’s ramp, a slim, unassuming man of medium height – who was probably the most dangerous man she’d ever met. Turning away with a smile, hugging herself slightly, she climbed back into her car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was three months later when Audrey glanced down into the audience and saw Phil, sitting in the third row, his face rapt as he listened to the performance. She was too skilled to stutter in her playing, but a smile came to her lips as she looked back at her music stand.

_I hope he can stay long enough to have dinner, this time…_

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I'd love to hear what you think!


End file.
